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Red
Dragon With the exception perhaps of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho', 'Silence of the Lambs' - in which FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) must consult psychotic psychiatrist Hannibal ('the Cannibal') Lecter from his maximum security cell in her pursuit of another serial killer - is the most popular and most famous psycho-thriller ever put on screen, and has transformed Anthony Hopkins, who plays Lecter, into a Hollywood mainplayer, a knight of the realm, and a spokesperson for Barclays Bank (which apparently sees no irony in being associated with a ruthless, arrogant maneater). This is not to say that the film was without flaws. So intense and mesmerising were the scenes between Starling and Lecter - essentially a subplot in the film - that the main plot, when it came, was little more than a limp, forgettable appendage. In the sequel, 'Hannibal', Sir Anthony reprised his role with gusto, although Foster had lost her appetite for the affair and was replaced by Julianne Moore. The film had its tasty bits, but it quickly became clear that Lecter is a far more compelling character when he wields his malign influence from behind bars - once unconfined, he seemed as much of a ham as the trained killer pigs that pursue him in the film. 'Silence
of the Lambs' and 'Hannibal' were screen adaptations of the second
and third novels in Thomas Harris' Hannibal trilogy - and in the wake
of their box-office success, Hollywood has decided to exercise the
prequel option by going back to the first novel in the trilogy, 'Red
Dragon'. In a way, this film represents all of the good things about
its predecessors, with none of the bad. In a brief prologue, we see
how Lecter (Anthony Hopkins again) was first outwitted and apprehended
by Special Agent Will Graham (Edward Norton). Some time later, Graham
has recovered from his injuries and retired to live with his wife
and son, but is persuaded to take 'one last case', involving a serial
killer dubbed 'the Toothfairy' who carries out ritualistic slaughters
of families every full moon. At an impasse, Graham is forced to consult
Lecter behind bars, just like Starling did before (or, technically,
after) him. Again we are treated to magnetic scenes involving mind
games and manipulation, only this time with the added bonus that Lecter
bears a genuine grudge against his interlocutor and is out for revenge.
Even better, this time the killer is a flesh-and-bones character rather
than a grunting cipher, and his storyline is well developed and engaging
in its own right. Anton Bitel |